Systems and methods for webpage creation and updating

ABSTRACT

A computer network system for posting content at a web site includes computer servers configured to host a web site for a group of users, and a data storage configured to store an email address in association with a destination at the website. The computer servers can receive an electronic message at the email address by the computer servers from a user. A computer processor can automatically extract content from the electronic message. The computer servers can automatically post the content extracted from the electronic message at the destination at the website.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to providing content to webpages.

As the Internet has grown more popular, a website has become a “frontdoor” of an institution to the users. The quality, accuracy,completeness of content presented on a website can largely determine theeffectiveness of the web site. As a result, substantial resources areoften expended in ensuring that the content of a website is accurate,current, complete, and easily accessed.

Creating a website is often a daunting task, which typically requiresthe collaboration of a number of web content creators, web developersthat format the content into appropriate Hypertext Transfer MarkupLanguage (HTML) documents, and reviewers that ensure content accuracyand currency. For example, a web blog site can publish comments from alarge number of users.

Moreover, web sites are typically extremely dynamic in nature, and areoften updated with new content on a frequent basis, e.g., to incorporatenew product releases, new support issues, new pricing structures, etc.As a result, the content presented in a website will typically be in aconstant state of flux.

Given the significant manpower resources required to create and update aweb site, management of a web site, in general, is often cumbersome andextremely time consuming. Interfacing various individuals to ensure thatall content at a website is accurate and up-to-date is often haphazardand inefficient.

There is therefore a need for timely and efficiently add content to webpages from a wide range of sources.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect, the present application relates to a system forco-authoring web pages. The system includes a data storage that canstore internal content for a web page to be displayed on computerdevices; and an application server that can communicate with a firstcomputer device operated by a first user and a second computer deviceoperated by a second user through a computer network, wherein theapplication server can retrieve the internal content for the web pagefrom the data storage and send the internal content to the firstcomputer device and the second computer device on which the web page isrespectively displayed, wherein the application server can receive inputto the web page from the first user using the first computer device andfrom the second user using the second computer device, wherein theapplication server can send updated internal content for the web pagebased the input to the first computer device and the second computerdevice to allow the web page comprising the input from the first userand the second user to be displayed in real time on the first computerdevice and the second computer device.

In another aspect, the present application relates to a system forco-authoring web pages. The system includes a data storage that canstore internal content for a web page to be displayed on computerdevices; a data server that can receive external content for the webpage from an external information source; and an application server thatcan communicate with a first computer device operated by a first userand a second computer device operated by a second user through acomputer network, wherein the application server can retrieve theinternal content for the web page from the data storage and send theinternal content to the first computer device and the second computerdevice on which the web page is respectively displayed, wherein theapplication server can receive input to the web page from the first userusing the first computer device and from the second user using thesecond computer device, wherein the application server can send updatedinternal content for the web page based the input to the first computerdevice and the second computer device to allow the web page comprisingthe input from the first user and the second user to be displayed inreal time on the first computer device and the second computer device,wherein the application server can receive the external content from thedata server and send the external content to the first computer deviceand the second computer device to allow the external content to bedisplayed on the web page over the first computer device and the secondcomputer device.

In another aspect, the present application relates to a method forco-authoring web pages. The method includes storing internal content fora web page by a data storage; retrieving the internal content for theweb page from the data storage by an application server, the applicationserver being able to communicate with a first computer device operatedby a first user and a second computer device operated by a second userthrough a computer network; sending the internal content from theapplication server to the first computer device and the second computerdevice to allow the web page comprising the internal content to bedisplayed on the first computer device and the second computer device;receiving input to the web page from the first user using the firstcomputer device and from the second user using the second computerdevice by the application server; and sending updated internal contentfor the web page based the input from the application server to thefirst computer device and the second computer device to allow the webpage comprising the input from the first user and the second user to bedisplayed in real time on the first computer device and the secondcomputer device.

Implementations of the system may include one or more of the following.The input from the first user and the second user can include text, animage, or a combination of text and an image. The web page can bedisplayed on the first computer device using a web browser application.The system can further include a data server in communication with theapplication server. The data server can receive external content for theweb page from an external information source. The application server cansend the external content to the first computer device and the secondcomputer device to allow the external content to be displayed on the webpage over the first computer device and the second computer device. Theapplication server can resolve conflicts between input from the firstuser and the second user. The application server can resolve conflictsby rejecting at least one input from the first user and the second user.The application server can resolve the conflicts by accepting theearlier input from the first user and the second user while rejectingthe latter input from the first user and the second user.

In another aspect, the present application relates to a method forposting content at a web site. The method includes hosting a web site byone or more computer servers for a group of users comprising a firstuser and a second user; setting up an email address in association witha destination at the website; receiving an electronic message at theemail address by the one or more computer servers from the first user;automatically extracting content from the electronic message by acomputer processor; and automatically posting the content extracted fromthe electronic message at the destination at the website by the one ormore computer servers.

In another aspect, the present application relates to a computer networksystem for posting content at a web site. The computer network systemincludes one or more computer servers that can host a web site; a datastorage that can store an email address in association with adestination at the website, wherein the one or more computer servers canreceive an electronic message at the email address by the one or morecomputer servers from a first user; and a computer processor that canautomatically extract content from the electronic message, wherein theone or more computer servers can automatically post the contentextracted from the electronic message at the destination at the website.

Implementations of the system may include one or more of the following.The destination at the website is located at a web address comprising astring of characters, and wherein the email address is set up to includethe string of characters that are also in the web address. The webaddress and the email address can share one or more common words. Theweb address can have a format:

http: followed by //characterstring1.characterstring2.characterstring3,and wherein the email address is set up in a format: “characterstring1”followed by “@characterstring2.characterstring3”, wherein each of“characterstring1”, “characterstring2”, and “characterstring3”represents a string of characters. The web address can have a format:

http: followed by//characterstring1.characterstring2.characterstring3/characterstring4,and the email address is set up in a format:“characterstring1.characterstring4” followed by “@characterstring2.characterstring3”, wherein each of “characterstring1”,“characterstring2”, “characterstring3”, and “characterstring4”represents a string of characters.

The destination at the website can include a webpage. The destination atthe website can include a section of a webpage. The destination at thewebsite can include an image previously posted on a webpage at thewebsite. The content can include an image embedded in or attached to theelectronic message. The content can include text. The text can beautomatically extracted from the electronic message by the computerprocessor. The text can be automatically parsed and categorized into oneor more groups, and wherein text is posted at the destination at thewebsite according to the one or more groups. The method can furtherinclude automatically sending an email notification, the one or morecomputer servers, to the second user about the content posted by thefirst user at the destination at the website. The method can furtherinclude giving permission to the second user to receive the emailnotification by a manager or an owner of the website before the step ofautomatically sending an email notification. The method can furtherinclude receiving definition from the second user about the frequencyand type of content in the email notification, wherein the emailnotification includes the type of content and is sent at the frequencyas defined by the second user before the step of automatically sendingan email notification.

Embodiments may include one or more of the following advantages. Thedisclosed systems and methods allow multiple users to co-author awebpage in real time. The users can be remotely located, and bestrangers to each other. Content from external sources can be fed andeffectively integrated with the content on the web page created by themultiple users. The disclosed systems and methods can significantlyincrease the flexibility and reduce the amount of time for creatingcontent for web pages. The disclosed systems and methods can alsobroaden the content sources for web pages.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a network system allowing real-time webpageco-authoring among multiple users in accordance with the presentinvention.

FIG. 2 illustrates layouts of web pages displayed at remote computerdevices for enabling real-time webpage co-authoring as shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the network system in FIG. 1, showing datafrom external sources to be fed to a webpage and to integrate withinternally created content in the webpage.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating a process of posting content forwebsite from users in emails in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 5 shows details of content identification, content extraction, andcommand extract in the network system in accordance with the presentinvention.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a network system in accordance with thepresent invention illustrating receiving and posting content inelectronic messages.

Although the invention has been particularly shown and described withreference to multiple embodiments, it will be understood by personsskilled in the relevant art that various changes in form and details canbe made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIG. 1, a network system 100 includes a data server 110that can receive web page content from an external source, a datastorage 115 that can store internally generally web page content and webcontent generated by users, as described below, and one or moreapplication servers 120 in communication with the data server 110 andthe data storage 115 in an internal computer network. The applicationservers 120 are configured to communicate with computer devices 130, 135over a computer network. Computer devices 130, 135 can respectively runweb browsers 131, 136 using web content supplied by the applicationservers 120.

The client applications such as web browser software at the computerdevices 130, 135 can be connected to application servers 120 via adedicated network connection (e.g. an HTTP connection) that providesnear real-time data communications with minimal network latency. Changesmade by each user are stored in the data storage 115 and can bedistributed by the application servers 120 to other applications todisplay updated web pages. In the present application, applicationserver can also be referred as a type of computer processor.

The website can be used for communication, media sharing, and managementwithin group of users. In according to the present invention, the usersin the group can use the computer devices 130, 135 to view the contentof the web browsers 131, 136, and collaboratively add and modify contentin a web page in real time. Depending on the roles of the differentusers, the users can be given different level of permissions by themanagement of the network system 100. The permission levels can include,for example, “No Access”, “Reader”, “Commenter”, “Author”, “Editor”, or“Owner”. Commenters, authors, and editors can respectfully contribute oralter web content to different extent.

FIG. 2 shows examples of a web page 200 and a web page 250 that can berespectively displayed by the web browsers 131, 136 (such as Microsoft'sInternet Explorer) on the computer devices 130, 135. Users A and B canrespectively operate the computer devices 130, 135 to edit the web pages200, 250. The edited content can appear in real time in the web pages200, 250 and visible to users A and B. Users A and B can add images totheir respective web pages 200, 250 by moving (e.g. dragging anddropping) images from the computer devices 130, 135 into image receivingareas on the web pages 200, 250. The web pages 200 and 250 can includean image 201 posted by user A and an image 202 posted by user B. Users Aand B can add text information such as comments to their respective webpages 200, 250 through user interface tools such as keyboard, mouse, andvoice input. The web page 200 and 250 can include comments 261, 263added by user A and comment 262 added by user B. Text, images, and otherobjects on the web pages 200, 250 can be added, moved, edited, anddeleted by multiple users (e.g. user A and user B) at the same time.

Although the image and text information displayed on the web pages 200and 250 may differ instantaneously as the users A and B was entering thetext or moving the image into the web pages 200, 250. Once the text andimage information are accepted, the information can be instantly updatedin real time such that the users A and B can see the same updated webpage content, which would assist their thinking and decision making inco-authoring the web page. As users make changes to the content on thepage, these changes are distributed to other users so that the eachusers' displayed web page reflects the content changes without the userneeding to refresh the web page.

The changes simultaneously made by users A and B can be interleaved andposted on the same webpage 200 or 250, which is illustrated by comments261-263 from user A and user B in FIG. 2. User A can add an image whileuser B is changing the layout of the web page. Collisions or conflictscan be detected if two or more users attempt to update the same objecton the webpage at the same time.

Content can be added simultaneously by multiple users. Rules can be setup to avoid conflicts between the content entered by different users Aand B. An exemplified rule can define that early changes take priorityover the latter changes. When content edited or moved simultaneously bydifferent users create conflicts, the earlier change may be acceptedwhile the latter changes rejected.

The web page 200, 250 can respectively include sections 221, 271 thatcan display information received from external sources. The rules forselecting the external source and the type of information can forexample set by one or more of the users (e.g. user A). User generatedinformation such as image 201 and comments 261-263 can be integratedfrom externally sourced information in sections 221, 271 on the webpages 200, 250. Only the internal content, however, can be edited byother users in a group that have editing permission.

Referring to FIG. 3, the application servers 120 can store internal webcontent to the data storage 115. The application servers 120 can alsoretrieve internal web content to the data storage 115. In the presentspecification, the internal web content can include user generated webpage content as described above (e.g. by user A and user B). The dataserver 110 can send a “get” command to request updated information froman external information source 310 such as “Yahoo News”. The externalinformation source 310 can for example be a Yahoo RSS server. Theexternal information source 310 can respond by providing updatedinformation as set in the rules. Alternatively, the external informationsource 310 can inform the data server 110 that no changes have occurred.Then no update is needed in the sections 221, 271 in the web pages 200,250.

The updated external information is sent from the data server 110 to theapplication servers 120, and subsequently fed to computer devices 130,135. The information is updated in the sections 221, 271 in the webpages 200, 250.

Examples of external content include live news update, weatherinformation, stock updates, and traffic information. The user can definethe type of information to be streamed and the frequency of the updates(e.g. in minutes, hours, or days), which is used by the applicationserver to define the filtering parameters and polling frequency toinformation request from a content source.

In some embodiments, the end user is not required to specify the updatefrequency for the external content. The user selects the data feeditself and the frequency is based on a combination of server logic (e.g.default polling frequencies) and information provided by the source feedcontent (e.g. time to live values). For streaming feeds (e.g. stockmarket information), the external information source 310 provides thestream. The network system 100 handles distributing the changes asappropriate. When changes to the source data are encountered, they are“pushed” to computer devices 130, 135 where web pages that contain theupdated content are displayed.

The externally streamed content can be integrated with content createdby the viewer or other users in a group. For example, weather conditionat home location of a user's grandparent can be received from anexternal source and displayed to inform the user live weather conditionsat her grandparent's home.

Another example for an updated web content from a user community is thecurrently voted “Most popular photobook” at a website hosted by aservice provider such as Shutterfly, Inc.

In some embodiments, the presently disclosed systems and methods allowusers to enter content to a webpage via electronic messages that arealready a familiar way of communication. Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, thenetwork system 100 enables a website to be hosted by service providerfor a group of users (step 405). The users can be members of a family, asports team, or classmates from a school, etc.

Special email addresses are set up for content submissions and stored inthe data storage 115 (step 410). Each of the email addresses isassociated with a destination at a website. An email address can specifya website, a webpage or a section of a webpage at a website, or an imagealready displayed on a webpage at the website.

The destination for the content posting is defined by a web address. Theemail address and the web address can share a common string ofcharacters or one or more common words to help the content contributingusers to clearly match the email address with the web address. Forexample, “mysportsteam” followed by “@nexo.com” can be an email addressto receive content to be posted at the website at http: followed by//mysportsteam.nexo.com in which the email address and the web addressshare the same words. In this scheme, the web address is defined as

http: followed by //characterstring1.characterstring2.characterstring3,

wherein “characterstring3” is domain class names such as typically“com”, “net”, “us”, and “characterstring2” is a company name such asNexo or Shutterfly. The email address is defined as “characterstring1”followed by “@characterstring2.characterstring3”.

In another example, the email address “mysportsteam.picture” followed by“@nexo.com” can be set up for receiving content for webpage of “http:followed by //mysportsteam.nexo.com/pictures”. In this scheme, the webaddress is defined as

http: followed by//characterstring1.characterstring2.characterstring3/characterstring4,

wherein “characterstring3” is typically a domain class name such as“com”, “net”, “us”, and “characterstring2” is typically a company orinstitute name such as Nexo or Shutterfly. The email address is definedas

“characterstring1.characterstring4” followed by“@characterstring2.characterstring3”.

In general, electronic messages received by these specially set up emailaddresses are automatically treated by the network system 100 as contentsubmissions to the designated locations at the website.

In some embodiments, the application servers 120 (including an emailserver) are installed with a content identification engine 123 (FIG. 5)that can automatically distinguish and identify different types ofcontent in electronic message received from users (step 430). Thecontent submitted in emails can include text, images (embedded in textor in attachment), tables, files, voice files, video files, and othertypes of data. Content submission and posting can also be done based onthe data type of the attachment. For example, an image attached to anelectronic message can be automatically recognized as image data and getplaced on the pictures page.

An electronic message is received from a user in the group of the usersby the application servers 120 at the email address“mysportsteam.picture” followed by “@nexo.com” (step 420). Theelectronic messages for web content submission and publishing exist indifferent forms, such as emails (hosted by companies such as Google,Yahoo, Hotmail, etc.), text messages (e.g. by Short Message Service),and multimedia messages (e.g. by Multimedia Messaging Service). A usercan use different types of computer or communication devices to writeand send electronic messages. Aside from different types of computers(desktop, laptop, tablet, etc.), users can use (smart) mobile phones totake pictures, and text the pictures to the designated email addresses,as described in the present disclosure, for publishing on the web. Thegroup of users (family members, friends, et al.) permitted to view thewebsite can get a timely updates about the activities of the person whosubmitted the content.

In some embodiments, the electronic message and its sender are firstauthenticated by the network system 100 (FIG. 3) (step 425) beforecontent is extracted from the electronic message. For example, eachemail address used for web content submission is associated with auser's email address, testing user ID, or a mobile phone number, etc.which identifies the original user (or one of the original users) thatis allowed to submit content to the website. If content for web contentsubmission is received at the email address from a source other than theoriginal user, the network system 100 (FIG. 3) can send a confirmationmessage to the original user (at his or her email address, testing userID, or a mobile phone number, etc.), and wait for a confirmation thatthe original user for permission. In order to bypass that handshake, thesender can include a passkey as part of the email address. For example,a pre-established email address embedded with a passkey 1234 can bemysportsteam+1234” followed by “@nexo.com, in which the “+” symbol is alead marker for passkey. The network system 100 (FIG. 3) can parse theemail address to extract and verify the passkey relative to the intendedweb destination. Once confirmed, the network system 100 (FIG. 3) canaccept the content without confirmation.

The content such as images, text, audio or video files, tables in theelectronic messages is automatically snatched by a content extractionengine 125 in the application servers 120 (FIG. 5) in accordance withthe types of content (step 440). Inline text message is automaticallyextracted from the electronic message by a computer processor such asthe application servers 120 or the data server 110. Images embedded intext or attached in the electronic message are also extracted.

In some embodiments, semantic parsing and interpretation can beperformed on the data server 110 or the application servers 120 tointerpret an electronic message and automatically categorize it into oneor more groups each for an appropriate webpage or a section of a webpageat the website (step 450). In one implementation, semantic parsing andinterpretation can be conducted by the content identification engine 123(FIG. 5). For example, the term “picture”, “image”, “annotation”,“comments”, and “picture” can be indicating keywords for categorizing aninline message as comment on to a webpage at http: followed by//mysportteam.nexo.com/pictures.

In some embodiments, one or more commands can be extracted from theelectronic message by a command extraction engine 128 in the applicationservers 120 (FIG. 5) (step 455). A color image submitted in anelectronic message to “mysportsteam-pictures=sepia” followed by“@nexo.com” can be automatically identified, extracted, and processed toa sepia image before being posted at “mysportsteam.nexo.com”. Similarly,a text submission to email address “mysportsteam-text=bold” followed by“@nexo.com” will be turned to boldface before published at“mysportsteam.nexo.com”. In another example, a content submission toemail address “mystudyabroad-frequency=weekly” followed by “@nexo.com”will be extracted and recognized by the command extraction engine 128(FIG. 5) as for a weekly publishing at “mystudyabroad” followed by“@nexo.com”. The submitted content will be saved and accumulated and thecumulative content will be published on a weekly base. The commandsembedded in the email address can also include subscribe or unsubscribefunctions. In some other example, the email address can include are“tagnotifications” and “commentnotifications” to provide the sender anupdate when the submitted and published content receives a comment ortag from other users.

The text and one or more images extracted from the electronic messagecan be automatically displayed at the destination at the website by theapplication servers 120 (step 460). For example, the one or more imagesextracted from the electronic message are automatically displayed on thewebpage at http: followed by //mysportteam.nexo.com/pictures by theapplication servers 120. Inline text message extracted from theelectronic message by the content extraction engine 125 (FIG. 5) anddisplayed as comments on a webpage at http: followed by//mysportteam.nexo.com/pictures by the application servers 120 (FIG. 3).

In some embodiments, the email address used for web content submissioncan be built in with demarcations for directing content to certainlocations at the website. The email address can also specify an image IDon a web page. For example, “mysportsteam.openinggame.picture8” followedby “@nexo.com” can specify the 8^(th) image at the webpage “http:followed by //mysportteam.nexo.com/openinggame” (step 410). Text in anelectronic message received at the email address can be automaticallyextracted by the content extraction engine 125 (FIG. 5) (step 440) andposted as comments on the 8th image on the webpage (step 460) by theapplication servers 120. In another example, email address“mysportsteam.pictures.1” followed by “@nexo.com” defines a 1^(st)module (specified by “1” in the email address), in a web page “pictures”(specified by “pictures” in the email address), at the website“mysportsteam.nexo.com”. A module defines a section or a chapter or astory or an event within a webpage that includes multiple sections(chapters, stories, or events).

In some embodiments, an e-mail entry can be used as a way to gatherfurther information from the user that sent the e-mail. In response toan electronic message for web content submission, a second electronicmessage can be sent out by the application servers 120 to request thecontent submitter to update her personal profile to be used in a userroster. Polls can also be conducted by the web service email. The secondelectronic message can also ask for additional input to the webpagespecified by the email address. The additional input can include a titlefor her last text input. The second electronic message containing therequested information is received from the user. Steps 420-460 can berepeated to post the relevant content on a targeted web page at thewebsite. The content can be processed and posted in a fashion as definedby command(s) embedded in the email address. Other information can bestored in the user's account or taken into account in polls, etc.

In some embodiments, still referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, a webpage or awebsite can be created by one of the users in the group (e.g. familymember, a sports team). The user serves as the owner or the manager ofthe web page or the website, who can give permissions to a set of usersto allow them to receive email notifications about the content updatesat the web page or on the website (step 470). The recipient user candefine the frequency and the types of content that he or she wants to benotified. For example, update at a website or a webpage or a section ofa webpage at a specific web address, or update only in a section of awebpage.

The webpage or the website can be updated by submissions via electronicmessages, as described above, or using a web browser by users in thegroup, or updated by the service provider. Once set up, the electronicnotifications about updates on a website hosted are automatically sentby the application servers 120 to the set of users according to therules defined by the set of users (step 480). The electronicnotifications can be in the form of emails and other forms such as textmessages.

In some embodiments, referring to FIG. 6, the network system 100 canreceive electronic messages from or send electronic messages to a thirdparty server 610 which communicate with user devices such as computerdevices 130, 135, and increasingly, mobile devices such as smart phones.In one example, the third party server 610 can be operated by emailservice providers such as Yahoo, Inc. and Google, Inc., which facilitateemail communications between user devices and the application servers120, as described above.

In another example, the third party server can be operated by messagingand microblog service providers such as Instagram™, Twitter™, WeChat™,Line™, Kakao™, iMessage™, etc. A hashtag is a word or an unspaced phraseprefixed with the number sign (“#”). It is a form of metadata tag. Wordsin messages on microblogging and social networking services may betagged by putting “#” before them, either as they appear in a sentence,or appended to it. Hashtags make it possible to group such messages,since one can search for the hashtag and get the set of messages thatcontain it. The messages or microblogs can contain photo, voice, text,and video. Smartphones for example can conveniently capture this contentand allow user to post them in messages or microblogs. For example, auser can invite attendees of a wedding between David and Kate to publishcontent (photos, videos, text . . . ) about the wedding using searchablehashtag “#DavidandKate2013”. The content may be private to a circle offriends defined in a group.

In the present disclosure, the user accounts at the third party site(e.g. operated by Twitter™ or Instagram™) and at the network system 100(e.g. operated by Shutterfly, Inc.) are authorized by the user totransmit data across from each other. Moreover, hashtags are mapped to apredetermined web address or a network address enabled by the networksystem 100. A predefined protocol is set up between the network systemand the third party to allow automatic transfer of the content from thethird party server 610 to the one or more application servers 120. Themapping can be pre-defined by application programming interface (API)agreed by both services.

For example, Kristina has accounts at both a network system (e.g.Shutterfly, Inc.) and a messaging service (e.g. Instagram). The hashtag“#DavidandKate2013” can be restrictively used in a group of people thatare friends and family members of David and Kate. The content can beposted in messages or microblogs by people within the group using thesame tag. After her two accounts are securely linked, the hashtags“#DavidandKate2013” in the messages or microblogs in her messagingaccount and/or by her predefined friends are automatically detected; thecontent in the messages or microblogs is automatically extracted, whichcan be conducted by the third party server 610. The extracted content isautomatically transferred from the third party server 610 (operated bythe messaging service) to the application servers 120 and posted at“http:” followed by “davidandKate2013.kristina.shutterfly.com” by thenetwork system 100.

Other messaging service account users could also be invited via email byKristina from her network system to become securely linked as a way toallow other users to add to content tagged by “#DavidandKate2013”. Thecontent so tagged can be extracted and automatically transferred fromthe third party server 610 (operated by the messaging service) to theapplication servers 120 and posted at “http:” followed by“davidandKate2013.kristina.shutterfly.com” by the network system 100.

In general, the destination at which the content is posted can be awhole webpage, several webpages, or a section of a webpage at thewebsite. The content associated with the hashtag and transferred to theapplication servers 120 can include text, an image, a table, a file, avoice file, or a video file. The application servers 120 canautomatically identify different types of content, and post the contentat the destination at the website based on the different types ofcontent. For example, the photos and text can be presented in differentformats at the web page. The application servers 120 can alsoautomatically create a design of a photo product by the one or morecomputer servers using the content based on the different types ofcontent.

In another example, Kristina posts photos using a messaging service suchas Instagram™. She wants to tag and automatically transfer photos toShutterfly, Inc. for a calendar that she will need in the future.Kristina can create hashtag “#photocalendar2013” and use that hashtag totag all photos that she thinks are suitable for the calendar. The photosare automatically transferred from the third party server 610 (operatedby the messaging service) to the application servers 120 (e.g. operatedby Shutterfly, Inc.). A photo calendar may be automatically created bythe application servers 120 when the photos are over a threshold number.The photos and the design of the photo calendar can be posted by thenetwork system 100 at a web address: “http:” followed by“photocalendar2013.kristina.shutterfly.com”.

In some embodiments, the content automatically transferred from thethird party server 610 (operated by the messaging service) can be usedto automatically create a photo project such as a design of a photobookor photo calendar by the application servers 120 or other servers in thenetwork system 100. In this example above, the phrase “photocalendar” isconsidered a command to triggers the network system 100 to automaticallycreate a photo calendar. The application servers 120 can automaticallyidentify this command, create a photo calendar design, and post it atthe web address predefined in association with the hashtag“#photocalendar2013”.

In another example, the photo project based on the content associatedwith the hashtag can also be posted by the application servers 120 orother servers in the network system 100 at “http:” followed by“DavidandKate2013.Kristina.shutterfly.com”. Attendees of the wedding canreceive notifications about the postings at this web address, view thecontent update to date, and order photo products based the designsposted at the web address.

In another example, hashtag “#Italy2012” may tag content related to atrip to Italy. The content can be posted at web address “http:” followedby “Italy2012.Kristina.shutterfly.com”.

Photo books can include photo albums, scrapbooks, bound photo calendars,or photo snap books, etc. Photo calendars can exist in different forms:multi page, single page, multi-paneled, etc., and the types for wallhanging or standing on desktops. Other photo products that can beautomatically designed include greeting cards, photo stationeries, photophone cases, photo collages, photo prints, photo posters, photo banners,photo playing cards, photo T-shirts, photo home decor, photo coffeemugs, photo pads, photo key-chains, photo collectors, photo coasters, orother photo gifts or novelty items.

It should be understood that the disclosed systems and methods can existin many different configurations and are not limited to the specificexamples described above. For example, the layout of and the exactnature of the information on a web page can differ from the examplesabove. The network system can include other components such as a router,a data storage device, a data base and so on. The rules for the externalcontent can differ between different users such that the users can seedifferent external information on their respective computer devices.

What is claimed is:
 1. A computer-implemented method for posting contentat a web site, comprising: hosting a web site, by one or more computerservers, for a group of users, wherein a destination at the website islocated at a web address comprising a string of characters; receivingcontent tagged by a hashtag in a message or microblog, wherein thehashtag includes the string of characters that are also in the webaddress; and automatically posting the content at the destination at thewebsite by the one or more computer servers to allow the content to bevisible to the group of users.
 2. The computer-implemented method ofclaim 1, wherein the hashtag is embedded with a command related tocreating a design of a photo product based on the content, the methodfurther comprising: automatically creating a design of a photo productusing the content by the one or more computer servers.
 3. Thecomputer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:automatically creating a design of a photo product using the content bythe one or more computer servers.
 4. The computer-implemented method ofclaim 3, further comprising: automatically posting the design of thephoto product at the destination at the website by the one or morecomputer servers.
 5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, whereinthe photo product comprises photobooks, photo calendars, greeting cards,photo stationeries, photo phone cases, photo collages, photo prints,photo posters, photo banners, photo playing cards, photo T-shirts, photohome decor, photo coffee mugs, photo pads, photo key-chains, photocollectors, or photo coasters.
 6. The computer-implemented method ofclaim 1, further comprising: automatically identifying different typesof content, wherein the step of automatically posting the contentfurther comprises: automatically posting the content at the destinationat the website based on the different types of content.
 7. Thecomputer-implemented method of claim 6, further comprising:automatically creating a design of a photo product by the one or morecomputer servers using the content based on the different types ofcontent.
 8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein thecontent comprise text, an image, a table, a file, a voice file, or avideo file.
 9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein thedestination at the website comprises a webpage or a section of awebpage.
 10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein thehashtag includes a “#” symbol before the string of characters.
 11. Thecomputer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the content is posted bya third party server in a message or a microblog tagged the hashtag. 12.The computer-implemented method of claim 11, further comprising: settingup a predefined protocol to allow automatic transfer of the content fromthe third party server to the one or more computer servers.
 13. Thecomputer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the hashtag is detectedin a message or a microblog.
 14. The computer-implemented method ofclaim 13, wherein the content is extracted from the respective messageor microblog tagged by the hashtag before the content is received by theone or more computer servers.
 15. A computer network system for postingcontent at a web site, comprising: one or more computer serversconfigured to host a web site for a group of users, wherein adestination at the website is located at a web address comprising astring of characters, wherein the one or more computer servers areconfigured to receive content tagged by a hashtag in a message ormicroblog, wherein the hashtag includes the string of characters thatare also in the web address, wherein the one or more computer serversare configured to automatically posting the content at the destinationat the website by the one or more computer servers to allow the contentto be visible to the group of users.
 16. The computer network system ofclaim 15, wherein the hashtags is embedded with a command related tocreating a design of a photo product based on the content.
 17. Thecomputer network system of claim 15, wherein the one or more computerservers configured to automatically create a design of a photo productusing the content.
 18. The computer network system of claim 15, whereinthe one or more computer servers are configured to automatically postthe design of the photo product at the destination at the website. 19.The computer network system of claim 15, wherein the one or morecomputer servers are configured to automatically identify differenttypes of content, and to automatically post the content at thedestination at the website based on the different types of content. 20.The computer network system of claim 15, wherein the content is postedby a third party server in a message or a microblog tagged the hashtag,wherein a predefined protocol is set up to allow automatic transfer ofthe content from the third party server to the one or more computerservers.